hickey



(No Modl.) J. P. HIOKEY.

PEATHERING-PADDLE WHEEL. No. 316,783 Patented Apr. 28, 1885.

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR H BY i ATTORNEYS.

siren *rnr tries,

FEATHERING PADDLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,783, dated April '28, 1885.

Application filed November 8, 1584. (No model.)

, To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. HIGKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington city, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feathering Paddle-Wheels, of which the following isa description.

Figure 1 is a front endview of my improved paddle-wheel, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation in line :20 m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a face view of the cam-plate. I Fig. 4 is a back view of one of the paddles. Fig. 5 is an end View of the same.

My invention relates to the paddlewheels of steamboats; and it consists in the detailed construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described, by which the paddles or floats are made to feather or turn on edge before they leave the water.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Ais the framing of the paddle-wheel, mounted on the shaft a.

B are the paddles, provided with brackets b, bolted to them and pivoted in the framing of the wheel.

I) are lugs projecting from the brackets b, situated on one side of the center of the said pivots away from the center of the wheel.

0 are the feathering -rods, provided with double eyes 0 and pin 0, for engaging with lugs Z). The other ends of rods 0 are bent round at a right angle and pass through guideplates D, bolted to the hub of the paddlewheel.

d are slots in guide-plates D, through which the ends of rods 0 pass.

0 are collars for keeping the rods in position.

0 are the projecting ends of rods 0.

E is a plate provided with a central hole, through which the shaft a passes.

a are guides bolted to theinside of the paddle-wheel box, next the ships side. These guides allow the plate E to have a vertical movement corresponding with any vertical movement of the center shaft, a.

e is a pin for retaining the plate E in position on shaft a.

F is a cam provided with groove f, attached to plate E by bolts j, which pass through any of a series of holes, 0, in the said plate. The cam F actuates the feathering-rods O, the projecting ends 0 of which engage with the groove of the said cam.

WVhen the paddle-wheel is driven in the direction of the arrow corresponding with the forward motion of the ship, the projecting ends 0 of the feathering-rods attached to the paddles on the upper part of the paddlewheel are moving in the circular portion of the cam, the feathering-rods are held out to their full extent, and the paddles are in position to press against the water as soon as they enter it, and continue in that position as long as they can produce any useful effect by such pressure. At a certain point, near where this useful effect ceases, the projecting ends 0 pass into the flattened portion of the cam, the feathering-rods O are drawn inward, and the paddles B are turned on their pivots, so as to present their edges to the water. They continue in this position until raised clear of the water by the continued rotation of the Wheel. The ends 0 then pass again into the circular portion of the cam F, ready to press against the water when they re-enter it. By altering the position of the cam F on the plate E, as permitted by the series of holes 6, the point, when the paddles begin to feather, can be raised to suit the exact requirements of the paddle-wheel.

H are flanges on frame-work at the sides of the paddles, which prevent the water from flowing endwise off the said paddles, and thus increase the power of the wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a paddle-wheel, of a cam-grooved plate, the radially-slotted guide-plates D, fixed on the wheel-shaft a, the rods 0, extending free alongside the wheelarms, and having their lower ends bent laterally, and passing through the slots of said 9 plate, also engaging with the cam-groove, the pivoted paddles B, and brackets attached to the latter, and having lugs 12 arranged eccentrically, all as shown and described, to operate as specified.

2. In a paddle-wheel, the combination of I ing of the wheel, and provided with projectcam F, provided with groove f and bolts f, ing lugs b, substantially as shown and deplate E, provided with a series of holes, 6, scribed, and forthe purpose set forth.

and guides e, a series of feathering-rods, 0, JOHN I. HIOKEY. 5 provided with double eyes 0, pins 0', collars Vitnesses:

c and projecting ends a, guide-plates D, hav- GHAs. A. PETTIT, ing slots d, and paddles B, pivoted in the fram- I SoLoN O. KEMON. 

